Art of producing containers



May 39, 1936. 5 RUDD ART OF PRODUCING CONTAINERS Original Filed Nov. 27, 1931 Patented May 19, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ART OF PRODUCING CONTAINERS Harry B. Rudd, Douglaston, N. Y., .assignor to Rudd Patents Corporation, a corporation of Delaware 2 Claims.

My invention relates to the art of. producing containers destined for any suitable or desired use such, for example, as containers adapted to have a fluid medium existing therein under high pressure conditions.

My invention, in an important phase thereof, relates to a container having a flanged sealing surface permanently associated therewith in a novel and highly advantageous manner.

Further objects, advantages and characteristics of my invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing.

My invention resides in the art or method of producing containers, and in the features, relations and operations of the character hereinafter described and claimed.

This application is a division of my copending application Serial No. 577,568, filed November 27, 1931, this application having become U. S. Letters Patent No. 1,864,475.

For an understanding of my invention, reference is to be had to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a Vertical sectional view of a container structure embodying my invention;

Figure 1a is a plan view of the container structure shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view showing the container structure of Fig. 1 as it exists in its completed state; I

Fig. 2a is a plan view of the container shown in Fig. 2; and

Fig. 2b is a plan view of. a closure plate for the container of Fig. 2.

Referring to my invention as illustrated, Al represents a partly completed structure destined to be a container, tank or the like. Preferably, the structure Al is of suitable character produced by a suitable drawing operation on a plate or billet of steel. At the completion of the drawing operation, said structure Al comprises a bottom wall 1, or equivalent bottom surface, and side wall structure s preferably of circular cross-section.

After the drawing operation, the extreme top section of the side wall structure s, as viewed in Fig. 1, is spun inwardly and then downwardly as shown to form a reentrant flanged section sl which defines the filling opening q of the container, said filling opening, as existing at this time, preferably being circular as shown in Fig. 1a.

In accordance with my invention, the inner lower surface s2 of the flanged sections sl serves as a seat against which a removable closure plate is held by pressure existing interiorly of the container. This surface 32 should be plane and even for the reception in sealing relation with respect thereto of the aforesaid closure plate and said surface s2 may thus be rendered plane and even in any suitable manner such, for example, as may be effected by the application thereto of any suitable tool herein illustrated diagrammatically at I, Fig. 1.

In Fig. 2w, the aforesaid circular opening is shown after it has been provided with notches or recesses t, t disposed, respectively, at opposite diametric sides thereof. The notches t, t may be formed by a suitable milling operation performed on the flanged section SI and, preferably, they define arcs of a circle having a substantially smaller radius than that of the circular filling opening q.

Obviously, if desired, the above described smoothing operation for the surface s2 may be performed after, as well as before, the production of the notches t, t.

Usually, the structure Al as it exists in its completed state in Fig. 2 is adapted to serve as a container or tank for any suitable substance or material which remains therein at a pressure higher than atmospheric, said substance or material being introduced into said structure Al through the opening q. Accordingly, said opening q serves as a filling opening and it is necessary that it be sealed during use of the container. For this purpose, there may be utilized the aforesaid closure plate which is indicated at g in Fig. 21), said closure plate being generally circular save for oppositely disposed arcuate projections h, h. The diameter i of said closure plate should slightly exceed the diameter of the circular opening q and each arcuate projection h should define the arc of a circle somewhat greater in diameter than that of that circle of which each notch 15 is an arc. On its upper surface, the closure plate 9 may carry an eyelet 7' to which, for manipulating purposes, a chain is is secured. As clearly appears, the closure plate, including the arcuate projections 71., h, is peripherally flanged for the reception of a sealing gasket, not shown.

When the closure plate 9 is in closing position as shown in Fig. 2, the upper peripheral surface thereof presses the aforesaid gasket into engagement with the surface 82. position, the arcuate projections h, h, are disposed, respectively, in alinement with the notches t, t, the upper peripheral surface of each projection h pressing a section of the aforesaid gasket into engagement with that overlying sur-' When thus in closing face of the flanged section sl which defines the adjacent notch t. With the parts in the relation shown in Fig. 2, it is assumed that the gas pressure interiorly of the container is greater than atmospheric pressure. As a result, the closure plate g is positively retained in closing position and, the greater the gas pressure in the container, the more firmly is said closure plate retained in closed position.

When it is desired to open the container filling opening, the gas pressure interiorly of the container is suitably reduced to that of the atmosphere, as by manipulation of the valve B,

and the closure plate 9 is lowered from the flanged section sl and disposed axially of said container. Then, with the closure plate 91 disposed axially, it is so positioned that the major axis (the straight line extending from tip to tip of the projections h, It) extends vertically, or approximate- 1y so, whereupon said closure plate may be readily removed from the container. In a correspondingly simple manner, the closure plate may be reseated interiorly of the container when it again becomes desirable to close the same.

An important characteristic of my invention involves the use of a container or tank or the character herein described as a converter of solid or semi-solid carbon dioxide. To this end, with the closure plate g removed from the container, one or more blocks of the aforesaid solid or semisolid carbon dioxide may be introduced thereinto whereupon said closure plate g is placed in closing position as shown in Fig. 2 and so held in suitable manner until there has been sufficient evolution of carbon dioxide gas interiorly of the container to produce pressure therein in excess of atmospheric pressure. Thereafter, the closure plate is held in container-sealing position by gas pressure, the sealing action occurring, in accordance with my invention, at the surface $2 of the flange sl.

Where the container is thus utilized as a converter of carbon dioxide, it is desirable that a plurality of discharge of dispensing conduits be fitted thereinto adjacent the top thereof. As herein shown, two such conduits m and n are utilized, the conduit m passing carbon dioxide gas to a suitable carbonator, or equivalent, not shown. For each of the conduits m and n, a suitable hole is drilled in the container side wall 8 and, after a strengthening boss is welded in position, each hole is suitably threaded for the reception of the conduit to be associated therewith.

During the final stage of the drawing opera tion, the side wall structure 3 is left at such thickness that it will withstand a maximum interior container pressure of the order of 3,000 pounds per square inch, or more. Further, the arrangement of the flanged section sl is such that it will withstand, without bending or deformation, an interior container pressure such as noted above. In practice, it has proven desirable to so shape the container side wall structure .9 that the upper part thereof is tapered to some extent, the thickness of the metal increasing as the top of the container is approached. In this manner, the maximum amount of metal is disposed in the region of maximum strain.

Obviously, my invention is not to be limited to the formation of a filling opening at the top of the container such as illustrated in Fig. 2a. As well, said filling opening may be elliptical, square, or rectangular, the respective closure plates to have a corresponding configuration. Or, the fllling opening may remain circular in which case the closure plate remains interiorly of the container during the filling operation, it being understood, however, that the arrangement is such that said closure plate may readily be lowered from the filling opening.

In operation, the tank or container hereinbefore described is supported in upright position in any suitable manner. For example, suitable leg structure, not shown, may be Welded or otherwise suitably secured to the tank whereby it is supported in upright position as shown.

The advantages of my invention are numerous and of importance. turing operations, the tank or container is advantageously and satisfactorily produced at minimum expense. With the container Al, the drawing operation produces the bottom wall and side wall structure, the latter, at the top thereof, being subsequently provided with the filling opening seating arrangement.

In accordance, with the invention, the arrangement is such that the interior seating surface for the closure plate may be suitably machined to provide a smooth, even surface whereby leakage of the container contents is prevented. This, in accordance with my invention is of great importance.

While the invention has been described with respect to a certain particular preferred example which gives satisfactory results, it will be understood by those skilled in the art after understanding the invention, that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and it is intended therefore in the appended claims to cover all such changes and modifications.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. In the art of manufacturing a container, the steps which consist in producing, by a drawing operation effected on a mass of metal, a cylinderlike structure open at one end and closed at its other end by a transverse wall surface, turning 4 the wall at the open end of said cylinder-like structure inwardly and then toward said wall surface to produce a flange, and machining the lower surface of said flange to render it smooth and even.

2. In the art of manufacturing a container, the steps which consist in producing, by a drawing operation effected on a mass of metal, a cylinderlike structure open at one end and closed at its other end by a transverse wall surface, turning the wall at the open end of said cylinder-like structure inwardly and then toward said wall surface to produce a fiange, and shaping the inner surface of said flange to produce a non-circular filling opening through which a closure plate is to be passed.

HARRY B. RUDD.

By the described manufac- 

